Harry
I have to ask you why you don't call the donated items -education materials
or touchables. To call them living history items has the connotation of a
working historical site where duplicate and replica items are handled by the
public.. Is this an insider term at the CMC. Are you calling props "living
history" objects?
Linda Tanaka
Vancouver Musuem

>We tend to keep a pretty firm distinction between "artifacts" and "living
>history" items. The latter constitute the "props" used in our programs and, in
>some cases, our exhibitions.
>
>Artifacts are deliberately collected, pursuant to our mandates for collection
>and conservation. They become part of the permanent collection and are recorded
>in detail, through CHIN's (the Canadian Heritage Information Network) database.
>We are currently making a series of digital images of each artifact and have a
>multimillion dollar, longterm project to put the images and the associated data
>into a database that will be widely accessable to users outside the museum, via
>the Internet. The one exception to this is the archeaeological artifact; the
>architecture of the CHIN database was never intended to address the large
>number of tiny objects (often forming parts of a whole) that characterize many
>archaeological artifacts, so we tend to enter data as an archaeological site,
>rather than as individual objects.
>
>Living history objects might be replicas, or real objects. For example, an
>arrowhead that an enthusiastic boy scout has found and has sent us would likely
>fall into this category, as the object would likely have little or no
>archaeological significance. As they are deemed to be expendable, living
>history objects do not get the full CHIN treatment; we record only enough
>information so as to be able to find them when we need them. In some cases they
>are donated, in others, purchased. Staff at Canadian embassies and consulates
>abroad send us a steady stream of living history material, particularly for the
>Children's Museum.
>
>Can artifacts become living history objects? It is highly unlikely and it is
>equally unlikely that a living history item would become an artifact. The
>latter are acquired as props for exhibitions or programs and, when they have
>outlived their usefulness or livespan, they are discarded.
>
>An example is a perfectly ghastly reproduction of an Edwardian (I think!)
>display stand for postcards. It stands about 5' tall, is made of carved
>mahogany and holds a large number of cards. It is one of the most repulsive
>bits of furniture I've ever seen! The original, on which it was patterned, is
>in an exhibition on Canadian souvenirs through the decades.  Visitors are
>encouraged to tell us about their favourite souvenirs on a postcard and insert
>the card into a vacant space on the replica, which is located at one end of the
>exhibition, where most visitors exit. When the exhibition closes, we'll draw a
>name from all the cards contributed and the winner gets the replica for
>his(her) very own! No, the runner-up does NOT get two of them! At least, we'll
>have disposed of ONE of the beasts!
>
>Harry Needham
>Canadian Museum of Civilization
>
Linda Tanaka
Vancouver Museum
Vancouver, BC
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(opinions are mine not my insitution)